Being aware of HPV & cervical cancer symptoms may save your life. Lean the warning signs to watch out for ranging from irregular bleeding to pelvic pain.

Cervical Cancer Symptoms

Although cervical cancer used
to be the leading cancer death for American women, it is now considered the
easiest female cancer to prevent. This is due
to HPV vaccines, regular testing for HPV (the virus that causes cervical
cancer), and more advanced screening methods. Knowing
the symptoms of cervical cancer can lead to early detection and quicker
treatment.

Read on to learn more about cervical cancer.

What Is Cervical Cancer?

The cervix is the narrow lower
portion of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical cancer is caused by
the human papillomavirus (HPV), a
common sexually transmitted infection. Estimates show that about six million
Americans have the virus, but most never experience any signs or side effects because their immune
system clears the virus. However, certain strains of the virus can infect cells
and cause problems such as genital warts or cancer.

Vaccination for Prevention
of HPV and Cervical Cancer

Vaccination against HPV is advised for girls
aged 9 to 26 for prevention against cervical cancer, as well as genital warts. It
is only effective when given to women before they become sexually active. Gardasil
is one such vaccine, and it guards against the two most common high-risk types
of HPV. It also partially guards against the third and fifth most common types.

Although HPV will be effectively
handled by the immune system in most women who are exposed to it, a small
subset of them will go on to develop cervical cancer. For women who have
matured past the 9 to 26 years window, or younger women who have not received
the vaccination, pap tests are the key
means for preventing cervical cancer.

HPV and Cervical Cancer

As HPV is the precursor to cervical cancer, it is especially
important to know its symptoms. Because HPV is a virus, it can be transmitted
to another person even if the host shows no physical symptoms. And not all
strains of the virus produce visible symptoms. Certain strains—6
and 11—form tiny, nipple-like bumps around
the genitals that can form in clusters that
resemble cauliflower.
The bumps are normally itchy, but larger growths may have a discharge or bleed during sex.

No Early Warning Signs

Like other cancers, cervical cancer rarely shows signs in its
early stages. Symptoms typically only become apparent when the cancer cells
grow through the top layer of cervical tissue into the tissue below it. This is
known as invasive cervical cancer.

Still, there are warning signs that women sometimes mistake
as menstrual problems. The most common sign of cervical cancer is explained below.

Irregular Bleeding

Irregular vaginal bleeding is the most common symptom of cervical cancer. The bleeding may occur
between menstrual periods
or after sex. Sometimes, it shows as slight blood-streaked vaginal discharge,
which often gets dismissed as regular spotting. Also, menstrual bleeding may be
heavier and last longer.

Vaginal bleeding can also occur in postmenopausal women who
no longer have menstrual periods. This is a major warning sign of cervical
cancer or other problems and warrants a trip to the physician.

Vaginal Discharge

Along with
bleeding, other types of vaginal discharge are
common early symptoms of cervical cancer. It is often continuous because of the
nature of the infection. The discharge may have the following characteristics:

pale

watery

brown

foul-smelling

tinged with blood

Advanced Symptoms

While
bleeding and discharge may be early signs of cervical cancer, more intense
symptoms will arise in later stages. Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer can
include:

What Tests Can Help?

Vaccination against
HPV is the best preventive measure to take against cervical cancer.
As mentioned earlier, it is advised for women aged 9 to 26. Following that, regular
screening is the best defense. Routine pelvic
exams can help spot problems. For decades, doctors have used a pap
test—a swipe of the cervix to collect cells for examination under a microscope.

Now, rather than a pap test, women under 30 are best served screening for HPV.
TheBritish Journal of Cancer published a study showing that
these tests are more likely to catch cervical abnormalities and are much more
effective.

Healthline’s mission is to make the people of the world healthier through the power of information. We do this by creating quality health information that is authoritative, approachable, and actionable.

Join more than 30 million monthly visitors like you and let Healthline be your guide to better health.